Random act of kindness today....vote for this sweet couple!!!!

This is from my amazingly amazing friend Elaine. She asked that we talk to our friends about her nephew Brandon and the chance he has to win a Dream Wedding! Please take a minute to do this. See the message from Elaine below.

My nephew, Brandon, (the one I requested prayer for who has Hodgkens Lymphoma) has been nominated to win a free wedding. He and Jerri are one of five couples. Please
go to www.WQAD.com and scroll down to wedding category, and click on Brandon Thompson & Jerri Caldwell. With all the medical expenses, and losing so much work
from chemo and his illnes, this would be such a blessing to them.

A step further would be to send this out to all the folks in your address book. God bless!
Elaine

Thanks Everyone!!! It will just take a minute...but it could be a blessing of a lifetime to Brandon and Jerri.

Working is a good thing.....or at least it can be.

I am traveling with my fun co-workers this week. We have trade show we are attending in Atlanta, GA. This blog is total randomness and just for fun. Most trade shows are boring....unless you can share it with someone you have fun with! This is Jessica - she has become such a good friend. We travel together monthly. She represents our hotels in the central area of our state while I handle the Northern area now.


We truly enjoy working together. We know each other fairly well now after working together for a few years. We laugh about these trade shows and dinners and sometimes think..."I just want to blow off this one last dinner". You know the feeling....when you think nobody is looking!!! My boss is not in Atlanta with me...would he ever know??? And then....we think again....because we know we've been blessed with great jobs.

Colossians 3:23 (The Message)

22-25Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn't cover up bad work.

I remember the first time I read that verse and realized that what I do when I am by myself at my job or at any responsibility is so important. God is always with me. He expects me to be on task because I am to be a reflection of him. I know.....it puts a real kink into that calling in sick thing doesn't it????

Now....even while we do our best job...we still manage to have some silly fun along the way. Today - we found some fun 'name badge' ribbons that we decided to add to our badges.

This is Jess with her Exhibitor/Worship Me/My brain hurts badge. The Worship me was funny for some reason earlier. Not so sure anymore why though.....but it sure cracked us up when we had been smiling and talking nonstop to people we didn't know for 3 hours. HA!


Here, you can see I'm an Exhibitor Goddess with OCD tendencies. She gave that one to me...I wonder what she means about me being OCD...hmmm.



Anyway, its late and I'm done. Gotta get some sleep because I have one more day of telling people why they should hold their meetings in Alabama. Hey...do you have a meeting you want to plan in Alabama??? I know a great hotel.....

Life in Technicolor - a2 Church

Many of you know that our family has been part of a church plant in Birmingham, Alabama. We have been so blessed to be a part of a2 Church. It has been an exciting journey all ready! Bill Robbins is a friend of ours at a2 and he filmed a part of our worship 2 Sundays ago. I am so glad that he posted this on his facebook. I knew that many of our friends and family who are not on Facebook would like to enjoy this video so I decided to put post it here.

I love that a2 is a place that invites all the arts to participate. Its not just about singing when we worship. You can see that here. Check out this video. You might recognize the music being performed - It's Coldplay. I love that we get to enjoy that on a Sunday morning. Click on the link and it will take you to my facebook page so that you can view the video. I can't figure out how to post the video here. One day...

#/profile.php?id=1209012223&ref=name

I would love for you to read more about this service. This video was the artistic interpretation of Malachi 4:2, “…the son of righteousness will rise with healing in His wings.” If you would like to read more about this service or learn more about other services we've shared...click here. Chris Goins is our lead pastor and he truly has a unique way of sharing God's truths and his amazing love for us all.

If you find yourself in Vestavia, Alabama and you want to check out what a2 is all about. Please call me....email me.....I'll meet you there with a cup of coffee and we'll enjoy the day together. What's your talent???? Maybe you can express your unique gift at a2 as well.

Acts 2:42-47 (NIV), They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

In the waiting

I blogged a week or so ago about my sweet grandmother. She is still in the hospital, but has been moved to rehab / nursing home. That in itself has been hard. If that were not hard enough, the second day of my grandmother's move, my mother fell inside her hospital room while checking on Nana and broke her arm. She will have surgery this coming Wednesday. It was devestating. Simply put, it was the straw that broke the camel's back for my exhausted mother. Not only did she break her arm, it was her right arm which makes caring for herself and her mother a bit difficult.

I know we all have situations where we've experienced that one last thing. That last blow that pushed us to the end. Or maybe, there was a situation with a friend, family member or perhaps a child - that made us say, "I can't do this. I'm done"

Romans 5:3-5 (The Message)

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

It is so hard sometimes to keep our praise isn't it? When we want to cry, it seems sometimes so difficult to sing a song of joy. But God's word is true - and it tells us that if we continue to shout praise - EVEN WHEN WE ARE HEMMED IN WITH TROUBLES, that the lord will help cultivate that patience that is learned into a tempered steel of virture - keeping us alert for all that he has for us. God is generous and give us what we need, when we need it most.

Psalm 94:18-19 (New International Version)

18 When I said, "My foot is slipping,"
your love, O LORD, supported me.

19 When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought joy to my soul.

Lord, when I feel my feet slipping from under me, I praise you for the love you abundantly give that supports my every step. I praise you for the joy you bring to my life and the lives of those I love. I know you are there....in the waiting....holding me up.